We Live and Breathe Sustainability

For Ebbwater, sustainability isn’t just an add-on – it’s our purpose, our business model, our reason for existence. But we don’t only dedicate our days to managing flood risks, and supporting communities in adapting to climate change. We’re committed to doing more, and we actively encourage clients, competitors and peers across our network to join us.

Our people

For our business to thrive, our team must have the resources and tools to succeed. That’s why we prioritize investment in the wellbeing of team.

We value diversity.

We’re leading the way in promoting women in engineering and science, with women representing a significant majority of our team members.

We believe in economic sustainability.

Everyone at Ebbwater is paid at least the minimum living wage for our region, plus additional health and wellbeing benefits. To make sure our staff aren’t worried about their finances as costs rise, Ebbwater has committed to annual salary increases indexed to inflation.

We prioritize mental health.

Our team works in the challenging sector of disaster planning and climate adaptation. We recognize the stress this can put on mental health and have a paid counsellor available on call for employees to contact any time they need support. In recognition that sometimes a break from work is what is really needed, Ebbwater’s employment model has flexibility baked right in; staff can take short-term unpaid leave or even a sabbatical. 

We stay engaged.

Each Ebbwater employee receives a paid day-off each year to volunteer in their community.

Our community

The communities where we live and work are also our friends, families, and customers. We support community because it amplifies our mission—but also because it’s just the right thing to do.

We share our knowledge.

Our team are actively involved in skill-sharing with the community, through the likes of emergency preparedness workshops or volunteer science fairs.

We give back.
We take on special projects pro bono, like art installations on the coast, facilitation support to bring groups together, as well as technical report for NGOs, because creativity is the foundation for innovation and better mental health.
We support local.
We source from other local, sustainable businesses wherever possible—like banking with our local community credit union right here in Vancouver.
We're committed to reconciliation.

Aligning with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, including adhering to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is extremely important to us. Ebbwater’s work directly supports First Nations with their flood mitigation and planning.

Our environment

An ecological focus is directly embedded in our services, but care about managing our own environmental impact as much as we do about helping our clients manage theirs.

We minimize emissions from commuting.

Our office is strategically located right on the Vancouver Skytrain line, and is a block away from 10 different bus routes and bike lanes. Each year, the Ebbwater team also participates in Bike to Work Week, and we invite our peers to participate too.

We're selective about our relationships.

We actively choose not to work with anyone contributing to the exacerbation of climate change, like fossil fuel companies, or forestry firms not following sustainable logging practices.

We buy consciously.

We take a strict approach to procurement, sourcing from environmentally-conscious suppliers and minimizing waste from purchasing and packaging wherever possible.